THE latest news from our reporter, Dominic Collis, who is at Manchester Crown Court for the trial of four young men accused of murdering Nelson dad Mohammed Raja Shafiq (50) in Burnley's Thompson Park in March.
The father-of-seven, who is said to have gone to the park to intervene in a fight involving his son, Umar, died in the Royal Blackburn Hospital after being stabbed and beaten.
In the dock accused of murder and violent disorder are Burnley men Mohammed Bilal Bhatti (21), of Holcombe Drive; Mohammed Shahdab Akhtar (19), of Scott Park Road; Omar Khalid (19), of Fairfield Drive; and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons. They all deny the allegations made against them.
The trial is expected to last four weeks and we'll have daily updates here ....
THE jury in the Thompson Park murder trial heard today how the four defendants drove from the scene and collided with another car after the fight.
Stefan Jones (18), a course mate of Bilal Bhatti at Burnley College, told the court how he got into a car with the other defendants, which was driven by Omar Khalid.
Mr Jones said Bilal Bhatti showed him a bloodied knife and said: "I've just stabbed someone, aren't I a cool f....."
Mr Jones went on to say he had previously seen the knife at Bhatti's home in Holcombe Drive.
He described it as a Rambo-style knife with ridges in it. He also said Shadad Aktar received a broken nose during the fight, but the defendants did not want to go to Burnley General Hospital in case they were arrested.
They drove in Omar's car to Fairfield Hospital, Bury, but clipped another car in Forest Street, Burnley, on the way. The driver of that car caught up with the defendants at traffic lights outside Burnley Tesco.
Omar Khalid got out to speak to the other driver and told him they were going to hospital with their friend.
Mr Jones went on to say he and Shadad Akhtar were dropped off at Fairfield Hospital and later picked up by Omar. They were then driven to the car park of the Usha Restaurant in Rossendale Road, Burnley.
It was here the witness says the group met some other Asians who he did not recognise but who were discussing ways of manipulating the story to stop Bhatti's name being mentioned.
Mr Jones also told the court that, before the fight, he had lent Bhatti his neck scarf. He believed this was because Bhatti wanted to hide his face.
He also said that, immediately before the fight, the 17-year-old defendant had asked him to hold his metal bar.
Mr Mark Stuart (defending the 17-year old) said Mr Jones had brought the bar to the fight, something the witness denied.
The trial conitnues
>>'Schoolyard scrap' eventually led to dad's park murder: defence>> 'Why didn't son in park murder case go home with dad?': defence>> Son takes stand in park murder trial>> Dad-of-seven murder trial - first day